The Garlic Farm has expanded its range of garlic-inspired products with the launch of Garlic & Herb Popcorn.

The garlic and herb infusion blends oregano, thyme, basil and rosemary with garlic.

Tom Honeyman-Brown, general manager, said: "At The Garlic Farm, we love experimenting with flavours and garlic combinations. We're thrilled with our garlic popcorn. It's fun, it's different and most importantly, it tastes fantastic."

Garlic & Herb Popcorn is priced at £3.50 for a 100g bag.

• See also Garlic Farm updates packaging and labels

Dust Cutter Beverage Company has launched its new line of all-natural lemonades in Ball Corporation's 16oz Alumi-Tek bottles.

"We picked the Alumi-Tek bottle before we designed the logo or developed the flavours, because it works well with our brand, which is a throwback to the Old West," said Eric Green, founder, Dust Cutter Beverage Company. "We wanted to make the brand as authentic as possible, and serving our lemonades in a state-of-the-art container that exemplifies the look of an old canteen was perfect for us."

Dust Cutter Lemonades are available in three flavours, including original Lemonade, Huckleberry Lemonade and Iced Tea Lemonade. Dust Cutter is currently in distribution in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area in the US.

• See also DOC 360 in Ball Alumi-Tek 'Slam Can'

Amanda Millington, national accounts controller at Mars, introduces the Maltesers Teasers chocolate bar and a new concept in vending machines. The interview took place at Avex 2013 in Birmingham, UK.

• Recorded, produced and hosted by: Claire Phoenix, Bill Bruce and Shaun Weston

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Starbucks Coffee Company will include calorie information on menu boards at all company operated and licensed US Starbucks stores beginning 25 June.

The launch of menu board labelling and pastry case calorie labelling will complement the food and beverage transparency the company already provides to customers, through printed brochures, an easy-to-navigate nutrition tab on Starbucks.com and through the Starbucks Mobile App for iPhone.

"Menu labelling is yet another step to extend our commitment to wellness, ensuring our customers and partners (employees) have the information they need to make informed decisions and understand all the ways that they can customise their Starbucks beverages to be within their desired calorie range," said Mary Wagner PhD and senior vice president, global research & development at Starbucks. "Starbucks believes that wellness is the journey to a happy, healthy life through daily choices, whether it's a favourite beverage or a wholesome meal option."

• See also Front of pack calorie labels arrive in US stores

SABMiller and Kopparberg Brewery have entered into a cooperation agreement for the long-term licensing of Kopparberg cider products in selected markets.

All Kopparberg cider products, including Pear and Naked Apple, will be available for distribution, and the cooperation will take place in various markets where Kopparberg does not have an existing interest.

The first SABMiller operation to sign an exclusive local distribution agreement is Australia, and others will follow in the coming months.

• See also Miller Lite beer bottle is given fresh design by 4sight inc

Yorkshire Packaging Systems has announced its recent acquisition of Camline Products and Services, an established expert in the field of automation.

As a result of the acquisition, Yorkshire Packaging Systems now has the ability to offer turnkey automated solutions to the packaging industry. Along with their standard shrink wrapping machinery, it can now deliver robotics, palletisation, conveyor systems and bespoke handling equipment to the market.

In addition to the design and in-house manufacture mentioned above, Yorkshire Packaging Systems is also offering integration of other production machinery, including print and apply systems, tray erectors, case erectors and top closes and sealers.

Glyn Johnson, YPS MD, said: "This is a wonderful acquisition and will help further strengthen our position in the marketplace and enable us to offer complete turnkey packaging solutions."

• See also 35 food and drink acquisitions in May 2013

Wilden, a manufacturer of air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pump technology, has launched the new Pro-Flo Shift Air Distribution System (ADS) for use in Advanced Series bolted and Original Series clamped AODD pumps.

The Pro-Flo Shift ADS represents a breakthrough in energy efficiency within the AODD pump category, as plants continue to look for ways to reduce air consumption and reduce their carbon footprints.

The patent-pending Pro-Flo Shift ADS allows Wilden AODD pumps to achieve up to a 60% savings in air consumption over all competitive AODD pump technologies, while providing more product yield per standard cubic foot per minute.

"The Pro-Flo Shift represents a giant leap forward in the energy efficiency and performance of AODD pumps," said Chris Distaso, director of engineering for Wilden. "The simple design of the ADS doesn't require any additional bolted-on equipment or bulky electronics, allowing operators to keep the same compact footprint."

• See also Operational efficiency – the role of pumps, valves & drives

A team of fine dining experts, including the world's foremost water sommelier Martin Riese, has created Beverly Hills 9OH2O, the world's first sommelier-crafted water.

Launched by Beverly Hills Drink Company Inc, Beverly Hills 9OH2O is already featured at Montage Beverly Hills, Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Markets and Bulgari on Rodeo Drive, among several other select luxury outlets.

"It is very exciting to witness the birth of a global sensation," said Martin Riese, the world-renowned water sommelier who led the taste design team. "We set out to do something that has never been done before: sommelier-craft the ultimate water taste profile and become the first water product to truly rise to the fine dining experience. By all accounts, we have succeeded in creating the world's finest water and are thrilled by the enormous buzz already surrounding Beverly Hills 9OH2O."

Beverly Hills 9OH2O is made available in limited editions of 10,000 individually numbered glass bottles.

• See also UK bottled water growth accelerates, research shows

A new investigation by Cafédirect has exposed the true extent of the crisis facing the treasured cup of tea.

While the cost of growing tea has soared by as much as 94% in the past five years, crippling smallholder growers, the market hasn't been keeping pace, with prices paid to these growers increasing by just 25%. Compare that to the price of tea on UK shelves, which has risen by just 3.8% over the last three years.

In its new report, RealiTEA, Cafédirect reveals that in order to offer tea at the low prices seen on UK supermarket shelves, compromises have to be made. These compromises usually come at the expense of the farmers at the beginning of the supply chain and directly impact on the quality of tea that ends up in the cup.

For an industry worth £629m in the UK, this is shocking, says Cafédirect. Alarmed by the situation facing their smallholder tea partners, and the future of a good cup of tea, Cafédirect conducted a series of interviews with tea growers from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Their responses showed that the traditional, artisan skill of hand-plucking the tender top two leaves and a bud (widely considered the only part of the plant suitable for making tea) is being replaced by far less accurate machine cutting. Machine cutting is the standard for mass market, low-grade tea, which results in twigs and the tougher lower leaves in tea bags.

Choosing between quality and survival

Until now, expert smallholder growers have rejected these mechanical changes, not just because of the effect on quality, but also to protect the long-term health of the bushes and reduce the environmental impact. However, continual pressure on price is forcing famers to make the choice between quality and survival.

The tea farmers also highlighted spikes in production costs, such as the price of oil, which increases transport and fertiliser prices. Living costs have rocketed, with the worldwide cost of food increasing by over 137% in the last five years. This drives up labour costs, such as bringing in extra help during harvest season.

Oxfam's recent report on tea workers' wages highlighted the chronic underpayment on plantations, demonstrating that it's not just smallholders who are suffering at the hands of monopolies.

Wilson Tugei, chairman of the 100% member-owned Siret cooperative in Kenya, describes the extent of the impact to the smallholder growers: "The farmers often have to make compromises elsewhere. When prices are low or crops fail, farmers will have to sell their food stocks, fell trees to burn or sell for charcoal, or they might resort to lease out their tea farms, often at a very low price.

"They will make sacrifices in their personal lives, too. It may be that they cannot afford to pay school fees for their children, or that they might have to change their diet to save money, thereby compromising their health. Some are forced to financially overburden themselves by securing overdrafts and loans to meet their daily needs."

"The global tea industry is in crisis," said John Steel, CEO at Cafédirect. "Tea has long been considered a cheap commodity in the UK, a telling sign of a lingering colonial mindset that distances consumers from the real value of tea, with many large companies exploiting local resources while reaping huge profits for themselves. Our demand for cheap goods is twisting and buckling the supply chain and we can't just sit in a bubble and ignore it because it's not on our doorstep.

"Look at the horse meat scandal and the horrifying clothing factory collapse in Bangladesh. Businesses are driving down the cost of goods to meet consumer expectation of low prices, rather than meeting their demand for quality and value. It is a downward spiral, stripping out moral and ethical standards and undermining quality. Ultimately we all lose out."

According to the Fairtrade Foundation, 85% of tea production is controlled by seven multinational companies through their factories and estates, which poses the question of where the profits end up.

When it comes to tea, the ethic of 'buying local' is best translated to buying from smallholders. Harriet Muhebwa Katiti, chairwoman at Igara Tea Factory in Uganda, said: "If you buy direct from smallholders, then you know the money is going back into the local economy. If you buy from a multinational, then money will be taken out of the country and spent in other places."

• See also Infographic asks, 'Is coffee a fair trade for the farmer?'

Duni has signed a deal to acquire the assets and business of Song Seng Associates Pte Ltd. Song Seng is a provider of disposable packaging for food and beverages in Singapore.

In addition to its own product portfolio, the company provides opportunities to customise solutions. Its typical customers include hotels, restaurants, different types of restaurant chains, as well as hospitals and other healthcare institutions.

The purchase price is approximately SGD 15m, with 75% of the purchase price paid at the time of acquisition and 25% after three years. The additional purchase price is conditioned on the company's profit performance.

Duni will acquire the company's assets on 1 July 2013.

"I'm very pleased that Song Seng is set to become a part of the Duni Group," said Thomas Gustafsson, president and CEO of Duni. "This acquisition is a key step in our growth strategy of expanding on emerging markets and increasing our level of service in the growing takeaway and fast food chain segment."

• See also 35 food and drink acquisitions in May 2013

INCPEN is launching a campaign called 'The Good, The Bad and The Spudly' to highlight the role efficient packaging has in reducing food waste and damaged products throughout the supply chain.

INCPEN is the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment, a research organisation founded and funded by a group of leading companies who 'share a vision of the future, where all production, distribution and consumption are sustainable'.

Jane Bickerstaffe, director of INCPEN, said: "There is so much in the press these days about what a waste packaging is, we decided that it was about time someone gave the other side of the argument.

"We want the public to have all the facts. Should we be buying loose bananas or ones in a bag? Well, it's up to you but remember bananas bought and stored in a bag will last days longer, so there's less chance of having to throw them away."

• See also BuroCreative behind creative for The Pig Idea, to help tackle food waste

The European Drinking Water Cooler Association (EDWCA) is moving its secretariat services to the Automatic Vending Association (AVA) offices, where a combined team will provide the support and backup required to continue driving the association forward.

The EDWCA believes that the move will increase benefits for members and allow the two trade associations to share expertise, market knowledge and resources.

EDWCA chairman James Anderton said: "By partnering with the AVA it will mean that the EDWCA can better meet the needs of its members and offer wide reaching benefits that would not normally be available to our trade association even with our growing numbers. This is an exciting opportunity for the association to utilise a significantly larger support team offering wider expertise within a similar industry.

"The AVA will offer the fundamental strengths required to drive the association forward and meet its heightened goals. Whilst our markets do differ at the fringes, there is a nucleus of commonality that binds the future of the two associations together, focusing on industry standards. The associations have a common purpose, which enables us to demonstrate a single clear industry voice, making a more responsible, responsive and relevant trade organisation.

"With services under one roof we immediately gain the scale advantage that cannot be replicated by other similar trade associations and will therefore clearly benefit the members going forward."

Jonathan Hilder, CEO of the AVA, welcomes the move: "There is clear synergy between the water and vending industries, with obvious mutual interests. We are delighted to welcome the EDWCA secretariat function within the organisation of the AVA and will happily share the specialist package of benefits available to its members and support them in running their businesses. Our members will benefit from this move, by sharing expertise and resources, creating more vibrant events and increasing our political presence."

While the move of the EDWCA secretariat is a long-term strategy, the two associations have agreed to review the operational agreement in 12 months' time.

In conclusion, James Anderton commented: "Moving the secretariat is a positive and proactive step that will secure a much stronger future offering for our members, improve communication and ensure that the EDWCA continues to represent a valuable and meaningful proposition."

Source: EDWCA/AVA

Cargill has reached an agreement to acquire the grain storage and crop inputs assets of Northstar Grain LLC and associated properties in Decatur in southwest Michigan, US.

The assets will be acquired from Northstar Grain LLC. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of June, pending routine due diligence. Terms were not disclosed.

"Our ownership of these assets will mean that farmers will gain a competitive market for their grain, as well as an expert crop inputs team from a company that they can rely on," said Ben Breazeale, leader of the Greater Indiana Farm Service group of Cargill AgHorizons US. "We also bring to the table industry-leading risk management products, personalised on-farm grain marketing services and excellent customer service."

The assets include 4.5 million bushels of storage space for corn, soybeans and wheat, and a crop inputs business. The site is served by the Norfolk Southern railroad, which provides access to markets in the eastern and southeastern US.

Cargill will initially invest about $3m in upgrades to the facility to complete the construction of a 500,000 bushel storage bin and increase the capability to ship 75-car unit trains.

• See also Cargill breaks ground on $100m investment in Indonesia

Canned fish brand Princes is launching two new Atlantic skinless and boneless salmon ranges.

The new Princes Atlantic salmon fillets are available in UK stores now, including sweet chilli and lemon & dill variants.

A second range of Princes Atlantic salmon in lemon & black pepper and brine variants is also being launched, with both ranges encouraging trial with consumers that would otherwise be put off by the traditional format.

"By bringing new variants to the ambient salmon market, we are confident that we will drive consumer trial and boost sales," said Neil Brownbill, marketing director at Princes. "Using Atlantic salmon has enabled us to provide consumers with a value for money product, and by offering the ranges as skinless and boneless, we are catering for a younger audience that may previously have been put off due to the appearance of the traditional format.

"We are committed to investing in Princes' canned fish portfolio and these new products form part of an ongoing growth strategy for the brand that will continue to cement our position as the number one canned fish brand."

Princes Atlantic salmon fillets are available in 125g litho cans with an RRP of £1.99. Princes Atlantic salmon is available in 160g round cans with an RRP of £3.

• See also Princes invests in new phase of brand campaign

Halewood International has unveiled a new look for its Whitley Neill Gin to build on the brand's heritage of 'African Discovery'.

Inspired 'by Africa', the new design fuses a matt black bottle with contemporary labelling to convey the product's 'hand-crafted excellence'.

"Whitley Neill has been recognised for many years as a premium, smooth and balanced gin, and we have now developed a design which reflects the brand's style and origins," said Richard Clark, director of innovation at Halewood International.

• See also Lamb's Navy Rum brand campaign features burlesque performer Missy Malone

Paramount Citrus has launched a premium California mandarin brand, Wonderful Halos, and plans to spend a record $100m over the next five years as part of an integrated, national PR campaign.

Halos will be available in November when California mandarin season begins.

They will be sold in 3- and 5-pound bags and 5-pound boxes.

• See also Investing in fruit

Heinz is shaking up its infant breakfast range with a collection of new products.

The new range will feature the first ready-to-eat breakfast format specifically designed for babies, Heinz Breakfast Pots, and the first Breakfast Biscotti made to cater exclusively for infants' needs.

Heinz is also improving its Heinz Cereals and Heinz Cereal Sachets recipes.

The 100g Breakfast Pots will be available in Creamy Oat Porridge, Banana & Apple Muesli and Very Berry Porridge, with an RRP of £1.19.

Heinz Breakfast Biscotti are available for babies aged 6+ months, with an RRP of £1.99 for a pack of six.

• See also Heinz adds new flavours to baby dessert pot range

Twix Mix is following in the footsteps of the popular Mars Mix, which was launched in April. Each 140g sharing pouch will contain caramel pieces and Twix biscuit bites covered in milk chocolate.

Bitesize confectionery has seen growth of 40% over the last four years and is now worth £550m. Mars currently holds four of the top five selling sharing pouch products.

"Whilst heritage remains at the heart of the brand, at Mars Chocolate we also believe that innovation is crucial to driving forward the confectionery market," said Nicola Lacey, central sales director, Mars Chocolate UK. "The launch of Twix Mix represents the perfect celebration of a much-loved product, reinvigorated for the bitesize customer.

"As we continue to see consumers swapping their Big Night Out for a Big Night In, we have witnessed the incredible impact this has had on the confectionery market and in particular, on bitesize products. Twix Mix offers retailers another great opportunity to tap into this trend with a brand that consumers already know and trust."

• See also Galaxy Counters in single format by Mars Chocolate

Magnum Ice Cream is bringing the 'Make My Magnum' experience to the US this summer, in New York's Bryant Park.

Magnum New York is the first ever ice cream pop-up concept of its kind for Magnum Ice Cream in the US. Guests can design their very own Magnum ice cream, complete with a number of toppings, at the Make My Magnum bar.

• See also Kelly Brook launches Magnum shop in London.

The 'Make My Magnum' experience involves choosing a unique flavour combination from the hundreds available by choosing up to three toppings from nine selected ingredients. These toppings are then paired with a vanilla bean ice cream bar and a choice of Magnum coating (milk or dark) made with Belgian chocolate.

The pop-up concept was previously launched in several markets around the world, including London, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo, and most recently at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Since coming to the US three years ago, Magnum Ice Cream has solidified itself as an icon of premium chocolate pleasure and as the ultimate fashion accessory," said Nick Soukas, brand building director for US Unilever ice cream. "The 'Make My Magnum' concept offers fans the most decadent ice cream experience, allowing them to design a bar with customised toppings and chocolate coatings. Summer in New York has never been more indulgent."

Magnum New York will be open until 30 September 2013.

• See also Unilever introduces apple-flavoured Magnum

Freezepop brand Mr Freeze has revamped its bulk box flavour offering following market research into the brand's flavour portfolio.

The research, completed by The Network at the end of 2012, was directed at the brand's cash and carry customer base to gain knowledge into consumer preferences. As a result, the new Mr Freeze bulk box now contains Strawberry, Raspberry, Cola and Orange flavours.

Tropical and Lemon & Lime have been replaced with Orange and an increase in the Strawberry flavour freezepops, as the research exposed this as a favourite.

The Orange flavour freezepop, which was not included in the original box, has been added due to its popularity highlighted in the market research.

The new flavour combination, which came into effect in May 2013, is available in two box sizes: 80 x 90ml and 150 x 50ml.

• See also Calypso acquires control of Mr Freeze

Onsite renewable energy projects developed by businesses in the food and drink sector are now generating a total of more than £32m worth of electricity a year, according to new figures.

Research carried out by independent energy company SmartestEnergy found that there are now 38 larger-scale renewable generation projects operating in the sector across Great Britain, with a combined capacity of almost 135MW, more than any other business sector.

Projects of 50kW capacity (and over) in the industry include …

• a wind turbine at milling group Mornflake's site in Banffshire, Scotland
• a biomass facility at McCain Foods site in Peterborough
• a wind turbine at ice cream maker Mackie's in Aberdeenshire
• a solar photovoltaic generation system at drinks manufacturer Halewood International at Huyton, Liverpool.

Anaerobic digestion, biomass and wind are the three most popular renewable technologies used by food and drink businesses, which account for more than a third of the country's onsite generation projects.

Rising energy prices

Soaring energy bills and growing environmental concerns have seen a significant increase in onsite renewable energy projects, with the total number in operation across businesses in Great Britain showing a 53% jump during 2012.

Electricity generated is used to save on energy bills and to profit from selling surplus power.

"Rising energy prices and the introduction of financial subsidy schemes such as the Feed-in Tariff have sparked huge interest in the development of onsite renewable generation projects," said Iain Robertson, SmartestEnergy's head of generation.

"For businesses faced with steep rises in energy costs, investing in their own renewable energy projects can generate significant savings and help them remain competitive," he said. "Consumers are also increasingly interested in the sustainability of companies which they buy products from and investing in renewable energy can be used to highlight environmental credentials.

"The combined strength of a large number of these projects will also play an important role in helping the country meet its climate change targets in the years ahead."

The figures for onsite generation projects have been compiled as part of the Energy Entrepreneurs report into the independent generation sector, being produced by SmartestEnergy and which will be published later this month.

• See also Tesco turns meat waste into renewable energy

BWCA member Office Watercoolers, based in Rugeley, UK, part of the South Staffordshire PLC Group, has announced the acquisition of Aquaven Ltd.

Delivering specialist watercooler and coffee solutions, Leeds-based Aquaven serves over 1,000 water coolers in the public sector, banking, SMEs and catering companies across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.

"The acquisition of Aquaven Ltd enables Office Watercoolers to further strengthen our customer base in the Yorkshire area and increase the product offering," said Office Watercoolers MD, Ken Skelton. "This is our third regional acquisition and growing our customer base and continuing to deliver a first-class service and product is at the core of Office Watercoolers' long-term strategy."

• See also The outlook for mains-fed coolers in 2013

Campbell Soup Company has entered into an agreement to acquire Kelsen Group from Maj Invest, a private equity firm, and several other investors.

Based in Nørre Snede, Denmark, Kelsen is a producer of baked snacks that are sold in 85 countries around the world. Its primary brands include Kjeldsens and Royal Dansk.

Kelsen has established distribution networks in markets in Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa as well as the US. It is a market leader in the assortment segment of the sweet biscuits category in China and Hong Kong, where growth in sweet biscuits is outpacing the growth of the $60bn global sweet biscuits market.

"We are delighted to welcome the Kelsen team to Campbell and to add Kelsen's distinctive brands to Campbell's outstanding portfolio of baked snacks, including our Pepperidge Farm cookies and crackers in North America and Arnott's biscuits in Australia," said Denise Morrison, Campbell's president and CEO. "Kelsen will give Campbell a solid platform for growth in baked snacks in China and for the expansion of our international footprint.

"The acquisition of this successful business is another important step in Campbell's quest to delight new consumers through expansion into higher-growth spaces, including fast-growing emerging markets."

• See also Campbell set to acquire Plum Organics

Frutarom Health has announced a 'strategic move' into the functional foods market on a global scale, furthering the strong positioning of its functional ingredients in the nutraceuticals market.

"Frutarom is one of the leading providers of specialty fine ingredients, flavours and savoury solutions," said Holger Riemensperger, general manager of Frutarom Health. "Through our flavours and food systems business, and our technological expertise, we have excellent access and great customer relations in the food and beverage industries.

"This unique combination of our taste solutions and scientifically proven health ingredients of the business unit-health ensure that food and beverage manufacturers get a true partner with innovative capabilities for their functional product success in terms of taste and health."

• See also Frutarom acquires JannDeRee

Wowbutter is a 100% peanut-free spread which, courtesy of distributor Donatantonio, is now available outside of Canada and the US.

"Wowbutter can be used as a spread for in-flight, on the train or hotel breakfasts, or to create a simple, nut-free 'satay sauce', for example," said Simon Bell, CEO, Dontantonio. "Wowbutter will increase the viable options allergy sufferers can choose when eating away from their homes."

The product is entirely free from nuts, gluten, dairy and egg., and will be available in 2kg and 10kg plastic tubs as well as 14g portion packs.

• See also Are your allergies being ignored?